Abstract
The Amida Trinity of the Ninna-ji temple (888) is noted in the history of the Buddhist iconography because it was the first to adopt the central placement of an Amida statue forming a jo-in (samadhi mudra), which was developed in the esoteric Buddhism. The figure of the jo-in Amida was first introduced to Japan in the beginning of the 9th century through mandalas brought back from T'ang China. This way of representation in sculpture in the late 9th century Ninna-ji temple, however, differs from that in an usual esoteric Buddhist temple. We can see the difference in the composition of the statues and in the selection of the figures from the mandala. And the iconographical form of the Amida statue does not follow that of the Tendai sect, as generally assumed ; rather, because it is most probably based on the Den-shingonin-mandala, it was developed under the strong influence of the Shingon sect. When we consider the fact that the Jodo sect had preserved the traditional formation of the triad since the Nara period, we must admit the following to be an important factor to explain such an employment of the new iconographic form : the Ninna-ji temple was built at the personal request of the Emperor Uda who was later to become a Shingon priest.
